I’m Barbara Baranovska (formerly Wishnevska).

I’ve been on a long journey of self-discovery. I graduated from a great university in Lithuania and worked at some large companies that offered opportunities to climb the career ladder. But over time, I noticed society’s norms and other people’s expectations were drowning out my inner voice. All that time, I wasn’t living the way I wanted – I was living how others wanted me to.

Since childhood, drawing has been my passion. I went to art school and attended art groups. But as time passed, I spent less and less time making art, because of the belief that “art isn’t a real job.”

I noticed the further I moved from what I loved, the more empty I felt inside. So one day, I decided I wanted to do something that would make me happy, no matter what anyone else thought.

In 2017, I enrolled in a fashion design program. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I completed my thesis collection “Functional Yet Fashionable” which won 2nd place in the Geras Dizainas competition that year. 

As the pandemic dragged on, I longed for the freedom of summer.

The restrictions made me realize how much nature means to me – how a warm summer breeze or fresh rain lifts my spirit. So, fueled by longing, I founded the WISHNEVSKA brand and designed my first commercial collection, “Yearning for Summer.”

But life had other plans. After the collection launched, I was diagnosed with a serious malignant blood disease. It’s been the hardest time of my life, but it reinforced what matters most – doing what you love and cherishing each moment.

Now more than ever, I find strength and inspiration in nature. I’ll continue turning to its beauty as I create new collections.